Modern day aircraft, and particularly modem day military aircraft, typically make use of a large number of actuators, sensors, modules and other components. These components produce, or can be monitored to obtain, signals indicative of their performance during takeoff, landing and other aircraft flight phases. Often one or more aircraft components are monitored and/or controlled by a module called a “line-replaceable-unit” (LRU). An LRU is a highly complex module often incorporating several processors for controlling and/or monitoring one or more components or subassemblies of an aircraft. An LRU may be provided to monitor and/or control one or more external devices such as an actuator, valve, motor, etc., associated with a particular component or assembly of the aircraft. An LRU typically also generates output signals which can be monitored to determine if the LRU and/or the component with which it is associated is not operating properly. Examples of some of the LRU's associated with a C-17 aircraft are listed as follows to provide an appreciation as to the wide ranging and diverse functions of a typical military aircraft which the LRU's are responsible for controlling:
System/ComponentAcronymEmergency Egress SequencerESAerial Delivery Locks Control PanelADLCPCargo Delivery System Control-Status PanelCDSCSPAerial Delivery System ControllerADSCAircraft Fault-Function Indicator PanelAFFIPSensor Signal InterfaceSSIAntiskid-Brake Temperature Monitor Control UnitABTMCUElectronic Engine ControlEECElectronic Engine Control (for Auxiliary EECEECPower)Auxiliary Power Unit Control PanelAPUCPEnvironmental System-Fire Detection Control PanelESFDCPTemperature Control PanelTCPEnvironmental Control System ControllerECSCManifold Failure Detection ControllerMFDCCabin Pressure ControllerCPCCabin Air Pressure Selector PanelCAPSPWindshield Anti-icing Control BoxWAICBWindow Defogging Control BoxWDCBBattery Chargerno acronymGenerator ControlGCElectrical System Control PanelECP(Electrical Control Panel)Static Frequency Converterno acronym(60 Hertz Converter)Static Power Inverterno acronymBus Power Control UnitBPCUHi-Intensity Wingtip Lights Power Supplyno acronymUpper & Lower Beacon Light Power Supplyno acronymPower Supply-Dimming Unitno acronymBattery Charger Setno acronym(Emergency Lighting Battery/Charger)Hydraulic System ControllerHSCHydraulic System Control PanelHSCPFuel System-Engine Start Control PanelFSESCPLiquid Quantity IndicatorLQIGround Refueling Control PanelGRCPFuel Quantity ComputerFQCFluid Purity ControllerFPCBearing-Distance-Heading Indicatorno acronymEngine-Thrust Rating Panel DisplayETRPDSignal Data Recorderno acronym(Quick Access Recorder)(QAR)Standard Flight Data RecorderSFDRPropulsion Data Management ComputerPDMC(Aircraft Propulsion Data Management Computer)(APDMC) (APM)Flight Control ComputerFCCActuator Flight Control PanelAFCPAutomatic Pilot Control-IndicatorAPCIGround Proximity Warning Control PanelGPWCPSpoiler Control-Electronic Flap ComputerSCEFCDisplay UnitDU(Multi Function Display)(MFD)Multifunction Control PanelMCPAir Data ComputerADCInertial Reference UnitIRUHead-Up Display Unit (“Glass-cockpit” Display)HUDUDigital ComputerDC(Mission Computer)(MC)Display Unit(DU)(Mission Computer Display)(MCD)Data Entry KeyboardDEK(Mission Computer Keyboard)(MCK)Intercommunications Set ControlICSCIntercommunications stationno acronymAudio Frequency Amplifierno acronymPublic Address Set Controlno acronymCordless Headsetno acronymRadio Receiver-Transmitterno acronymCargo Winch Remote Controlno acronymBattery Chargerno acronymCommunication-Navigation Equipment ControlCNECCommunications Equipment ControlCECCentral Aural Warning ComputerCAWCWarning And Caution ComputerWACCWarning and Caution Annunciator PanelWACAPSignal Data ConverterSDCCoder Decoder Keying DeviceCDKDTransponder Set Test Setno acronym(I-Band Transponder Test Set)(TTU)Satellite Data UnitSDUCommunications Management UnitCMUSignal Acquisition UnitSAU
It will also be appreciated that aircraft such as the C-17 aircraft include a wide variety of actuators and sensors that provide output signals that can be monitored and recorded, but which do not have an LRU associated therewith. These components include, but are not limited to electrical and electromechanical actuators, valves, transducers, sensors, etc. Thus, it will be appreciated that most modern day aircraft, and especially modern-day military aircraft, have an extremely wide number of diverse components which are monitored to help insure proper operation.
Typically, aircraft such as the C-17 aircraft, undergo a number of pre-delivery test flights in which the LRU's and other components of the aircraft are monitored and tested for proper operation of such LRU's and other components. In accordance with one conventional technique for monitoring and testing the LRU's and other components, during a test flight, onboard computing systems record data output from a number of LRU's and other components onto a data bus, such as a Mil-Std-1553 data bus or Aeronautical Radio, Inc. (ARINC) standard 429 data bus. Then, to monitor and test LRU's and other components for systems such as aircraft warning and caution systems, aircrew onboard the aircraft induce a number of known faults in various LRU's and other components. Resulting faults presented by such warning and caution systems are then logged in a flight work order (FWO), which can thereafter be analyzed by skilled personnel.
Whereas conventional techniques for monitoring and testing LRU's and other components of an aircraft are adequate, such conventional techniques have drawbacks. In this regard, many conventional techniques are limited in the number of LRU's and other components capable of being tested at any given instance. Also, whereas conventional techniques are capable of recording data output by the LRU's and other components, such techniques are incapable of identifying faults or other anomalies in such output data. In this regard, conventional techniques require the continuous recording of data output from the LRU's and other components without regard to whether such data indicates a fault or other anomaly. Such continuous recording of data, however, can require an undesirable amount of memory resources for such data, and require an undesirable amount of time to transfer to other computing systems to analyze such data.